Andrew sez, “The fight for the Open Web and Net Neutrality won a big one today after the EU Parliament voted to approve EU Parliamentarian Marietje Schaacke’s proposal to codify Net Neutrality in EU law. Here’s her statement after the winning vote:”

Despite demands that it ease its monetary policy, the ECB left the benchmark interest rate at a record low of 0.25 percent. If inflation remains at its present low level the central bank will resort to “unconventional measures”, ECB chief Mario Draghi said. Some commentators criticises the ECB’s monetary policy as faint-hearted. Others see little risk of deflation and praise Draghi’s steadfastness.

Ideas on Europe by Viviane Gravey If you care about climate change and the environment, you may find yourself wondering who will champion environmental issues in the EU after the upcoming elections in May. So far, the European Parliament (EP) has often been perceived as the EU?s ?Green Champion?,i.e. its greenest institution. In this blog post, we shed some light on the greenness of the Parliament. Second, by considering recent polling data and key parties? manifestos we argue that the EP?s environmental performance over the next five years depends critically on how European citizens vote in May 2014.

In annexing Crimea, President Vladimir Putin violated a powerful post-1945 taboo against incorporating other countries? territory into your own. So far, not only does he seem to be getting away with his land grab, but he has moved on to demanding that Ukraine becomes a looser federation and gives Russia a veto over its international relations. The EU and the US should be united in rejecting this attempt to reduce Ukraine to a satellite of Russia; and they should ensure that any larger ambitions Putin may have are contained

Apathy is generated by the EU’s intrinsic nature as a mere economic and political body “without a soul”

Let us stand still and recognize what has happened in the Dutch repudiation of Geert Wilders and embrace of Moroccan-Dutch ? in all its ambivalence ? but not cheer it, yet.

Some weeks ago, in the run-up to the Dutch municipal elections, Gert Wilders ? our most successful populist ? decided it was time to get to work. Campaigning in The Hague, he told journalists what he had never said before in so many words: voters for his party are, ?voting for a city with fewer problems and, if at all possible, fewer Moroccans.?